The long-term aspects of managed services make clear the need for effective contracts that protect both sides of the engagement. Some MSPs begin by using the contracts established by other companies, and sometimes telecom providers have contracts that can serve as a useful start. Much of the contract development depends on customer values. "Some customers want things like shorter-term contracts because they don't want to be locked in for very long, but others prefer longer-term," said Russ Young of LTech. "Some want to pay by the instance, while others want a fixed price. So contracts are moving target today."